D34 What's News?
October 18, 2018
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Strategic Planning Update
FINAL REMINDER: Fall Grant Applications Due October 29
Last school year, the Glenview Education Foundation awarded thousands of dollars in grants. Don’t miss the opportunity to submit your ideas for the Fall 2018 grant cycle. Visit GEF’s website for more information, including sample grant applications from prior years:
GEF’s Grant Committee School Liaisons can help refine ideas, collaborate with administration, and assist you with the application process. Contact your school’s liaison if you need any assistance:
- Attea: Chiara Andrews, chiaraandrews@gmail.com
- Springman: Elyce Ventura, elycev@gmail.com
- Henking: Nicky Stannard, nickyhstannard@comcast.net
- Pleasant Ridge: JD Lathrop, lathrop33@hotmail.com
- Westbrook: Vibha Gupta, vibhag@gmail.com
- Lyon: Chris Rettig, crettig@gmail.com
- Hoffman: Megan McClung, mhmcclung@gmail.com
- Glen Grove: Mike Zimmerman, zimmdad@gmail.com
Attention all previous grant recipients: We love hearing updates from you! Be sure to share anecdotes, photos, videos or your full grant report with us at grants@gef34.org. Thank you!
4th-8th Grade Teachers: A MUST-READ COLUMN
The District Math Assessment administration window is coming soon - November 1-14. This year, the assessment will be pushed into your Schoology math course by central office; students will take the assessment in Schoology and it will be automatically graded. You need to change just a few settings once the test pops up for it to become active for students.
Q: When will the test will be given? Who gives it?
A: 4th - 8th grade math teachers will give the assessment during math class between November 1-14 - you pick the date within that window that that works best in your classroom. Ask for support teachers to be on hand! (Math IC, building IC, TF)
Q: What the test will look like for the students?
A: Join the “Student Experience” Schoology course and take the test - as a student! You can also give your students a Practice Test to get ready for taking a Schoology assessment. More info found in the Schoology course! Join by logging in to Schoology, then joining the course using course code: TJ5CP-MXBG7
Q: What should TEACHERS should do before/during/after the assessment?
A: Before:Join the Schoology course (see above).
Determine the date you will give the test (between November 1-14).
Ask Jenny Bergeron or your TF or Building IC to be on-hand to support you during the assessment (if desired).
Reach out to Jenny Bergeron with any questions.
Adjust the settings on the test!!!! TEACHERS MUST DO THIS! The test will be “pushed” into your Schoology math course on OCTOBER 25.
Have students take the Practice Schoology Test (optional) - Ask Jenny Bergeron to push it out to your course.
During:
Students with testing accommodations should receive those accommodations for this assessment.
You don’t have to do anything beyond what you would do for any regular classroom assessment!
Start the assessment as soon as class begins so students get the entire class period. They only are allowed one class period to complete the test.
After:
Have any students who were absent take the test before the window closes.
Keep your eyes peeled for more information about analyzing assessment data and allowing students to view results.
Q: Where can parents find more information?
A: Live on our website! You are welcome to share the link with parents of your students. The District also will send communication directly to parents.
Q: How can teachers get more support as they implement this assessment?
A: Contact Jenny Bergeron to have her join your team meeting or lunch-and-learn to help get set up and ready to go. Perhaps plan to give the test on the same day as your team so support teachers can be there to assist anyone who needs it (Math IC, Building IC, TF).
Support Staff Professional Development – October 19 & November 6
Plans for the D34 Support Staff Professional Development Days, which will take place on Friday, TOMORROW and November 6, are well under way!
Here's the schedule for October 19:
- 8:00 - 8:30am: Continental Breakfast (Attea Cafeteria)
- 8:30 - 8:40am: Welcome - Dr. Dane Delli, Superintendent & Logistics for the Day - Dr. Hopkins, HR Director (Attea Cafeteria)
- 8:40am - 9:10am: D34 Health Insurance Presentation (Attea Cafeteria)
- 9:20 - 11:20am: A.M. Break Out Sessions (Various Rooms – Attea unless otherwise noted)
- 11:20 - 12:20pm: Lunch (on your own)
- 12:20 - 2:20pm: P.M. Break Out Sessions (Various Rooms)
A special thank you to the members of the Support Staff Collaboration Team (Meg Macfadden, Sarah Lund, Judi Domutz, Amina DiMarco) for their help in creating these days! More details about the plans for November 6 will be shared closer to that date.
Benefits Open Enrollment Reminder
District 34’s annual Open Enrollment period is nearing! It will run from Monday, November 5 through Friday, November 16.
The Open Enrollment period allows you to make changes to your coverage elections for Medical, Dental, Life Insurance, and/or participate in the FSA for 2019. Changes will go in to effect January 1, 2019.
An Open Enrollment presentation, the Benefit Summary and Rate Sheet, along with Enrollment forms can be found in the Open Enrollment tab on the Employee Benefits Center (user name & password are: Glenview34).
Forms need to be submitted to Benefits Manager Kellee Janus, located in the Admin Building, no later than Friday, November 16. If you have questions, reach out to Kellee directly: kjanus@glenview34.org or 847-998-5065
Job Postings
Visit Frontline to learn more or apply for any of the positions listed:
Certified Staff
- Special Education Classroom Teacher
- Long-Term Sub: 3rd Grade Teacher
- Long-Term Sub: 5th Grade Teacher
- Long-Term Sub: PE Teacher
- Long-Term Sub: Special Education Resource Teacher
- Long-Term Sub: School Psychologist
- Long-Term Sub: School Social Worker
- Long-Term Sub: Language Arts Teacher
- Long-Term Sub: Science Teacher
- Long-Term Sub: Early Childhood SpEd Teacher
Support Staff
- Coordinator of Business Services
- Senior Secretary (part-time)
- Associate
- Long-Term Sub: Part-Time Night Custodian
(Job)Share & Share Alike
The Constitution states that full time, tenured teachers may apply for participation in the Job Share Program in accordance with a process developed and monitored by the Personnel
Committee. The purpose of the Job Share Program is to provide the opportunity for tenured staff members to contribute to the District in a flexible manner.
Job sharing differs from part-time employment. When job sharing, two teachers assume complete responsibility for one full-time position. The professional responsibilities, required by the District, are not divided - both teachers are required to meet the professional obligations of all full-time teachers. The District and entire school community benefits from the knowledge and expertise of both staff members. Teachers who job share retain their tenure and seniority status and have a guarantee to return to a full-time position when the job share ends.
Job Share Q&A
Q: In the rationale for job share it states, “both teachers are required to meet the professional obligations of all full-time teachers. “Does this mean you come to
all meetings or just half?
A: Both job share teachers need to attend all meetings that are contractually required of a teacher, e.g. all collaboration time, institute days, and conferences.
Q: What are the specifics regarding pay advancement and benefits for job share teachers?
A: Pay increases for job share teachers on the basis of a full year of employment. Job share teachers must contribute 50% for medical coverage.
Q: What does job sharing look like in regards to the daily schedule?
A: The schedule for job share teachers is developed collaboratively with the principal with the best interest of students in mind. Job share teachers may want to check with TRS regarding specifics of service year credit requirements - there may be a possibility of earning a whole year of service credit versus part-year service credit depending on the daily teaching schedule.
Building Our Social Media Directory
Do you Tweet - for your class or for your own professional learning (and fun)? Do you have a Facebook page for your class? How about Insta for your group or team?
It's important that you submit share that information so we can develop a Social Media Directory on our website so that parents and community members can find all the great things happening in our schools - and so we can find each other to connect and learn.
If you are responsible for managing a school-wide account, please include it as well - we want to capture any and all accounts that share from our schools.
Look for opportunities for Twitter training for Tweeters of all levels - in person and online - throughout the year!
Find a Time
- Create a new event
- Click the Find a Time Tab
- Add guests
- You'll see the calendars of the guests you added (not the details of their activities - just when they are busy
- To select a time, click the area within the calendar grid
- Save the event, and send the invitation to your guest(s)
When D34 What's News? has to find a time to send the Prize Patrol to deliver raffle winnings, Find a Time is one way to make sure to catch the winner!
This section is where we highlight all of the wonderful things going on in the district, schools, and classrooms. If you have items to share or would like an event covered, please fill out the Staff Shares Request Form.
Don't want to write something up, but you want to share? Fill out that form! Or, even easier, email Cathy Kedjidjian and she'll be excited to come to your classroom and share your story!
Mindfulness in the Classroom
Emily Tribbett, first grade teacher at Lyon, uses guided meditations with her first graders. Her classroom also has 10 minutes of mindfulness every afternoon; students choose how to spend that time.
Emily wanted to share a resource with anyone interested in using meditation in their classrooms - or for themselves. Calm offers a free account to educators, and they have a section specifically for children called Calm Kids.
Find ways to take care of yourself, D34 friends!
Homework Helpers at Sunset Village
REACH Community Helper Visit
The REACH preschool program started our Community Helper visits. For October we had Groot Industries, a garbage company, come and educate the students on the role of a garbage worker, how to be safe when there is a garbage truck around, and of course the workings of the garbage truck! The students were able to ask questions, touch the truck, and see how the garbage truck picks up their garbage. They even received a miniature garbage truck for their classrooms! It was a great hands on way for students to learn who their community helpers are in Glenview!
submitted by Jobeth Wilson (WB)
Talking Points from the Education Committee Meeting on October 9
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Education Committee Meeting Times - The committee will give a trial run of having one hour meetings every two weeks versus one two-hour meeting once a month until winter break. UPDATE - After trying to find extra dates, we have decided to keep the schedule as is this year.
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34 Mentor Program - The district is moving forward on bringing back our mentor program.
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Middle School - No Red Ink (Grammar Product) - 7th/8th ELA teachers will get access to this product.
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Units of Study Implementation - Units of Study is the adopted resource for writing instruction for K-5 teachers of writing.
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PD Sub-Committee/February PD/Additional Institute Day - Preliminary plans were shared for our February PD day.
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ELA Gifted Identification Process - We are currently using ORF to identify “gifted” students as replacement for NWEA Language Assessment. Molly is formulating a committee to finalize a matrix for the 2019-2020 school year.
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District Decision-Making Matrix - The district matrix will continue to be worked on by GEA Leadership.
Welcome Robert!
Paper Tigers on Amazon Prime
Real Life Winner of Favorite Fictional Teacher Raffle
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Glenview School District 34
Email: news@glenview34.org
Website: http://www.glenview34.org/
Location: 1401 Greenwood Rd, Glenview, IL, USA
Phone: (847) 998-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glenview34/
Twitter: @glenview34